I see them as playing the role of something just a step up from leggings/athleisure. I’m in the minority of the world and don’t love jeans (they are fine, I will wear them but am thrilled to also not have to wear them!) so these might be a good sub in there casually.
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I only wear jeans when I’m going out in the evenings. I have all types and I dress them up. I hate wearing jeans just to be casual, especially around the house. I’ll put on stretchy pants! lol! Leggings and sweats.
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I do not like stiff or heavy jeans. When manufacturers started adding Lycra to the denim - happy days! My current favorite ones are Bayeas, Mother, and Alice & Olivia. The Miramar print could be a game changer!
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Same. Almost every female I see during the day is in some kind of legging outfit. There’s a huge exercise culture here as well as a walk-your-dog culture. We have miles of greenway trails, which are always packed. My kids, when not working, are typically in athletic shorts (or leggings in the winter) and a t-shirt. The only time I see them dressed up is if they are going to a wedding. Most restaurants are also on the casual side (with some exceptions). I do like the trouser/wide leg trend in athleisure, and I’ve been wearing those more than the leggings.
I stressed so much about what not to wear when I went to Europe (hearing how athleisure and running shoes were a “don’t”.) I only wore those items on the plane. When I got there, I was surprised to see every variety of clothing on both tourists and locals alike. I didn’t go to France, but I did go to Barcelona, Rome and Prague. I was there in April - maybe in the summer months fashions get fancier. I also think it varies city to city. I remember seeing a young adult in my hotel in Prague in a fancy short dress that you’d see on a young travel influencer’s Instagram page. I thought she looked very out of place for what I was seeing in Prague.
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I didn’t pay that much attention, but I saw LOTS of running shoes in France/Switzerland, with Brooks/Hokas being the brands I noticed most. (Several on our tour had Brooks which is why I started paying attention. Hokas you can’t miss the logo). We were on a cycling trip, and went mostly to places where exercise was part of the culture. In Lyon we saw a couple of (older) women walking around wearing “stiletto?” (very thin heels) shoes or boots, and that just seemed downright dangerous. There are many cobblestone streets, and I don’t know how they could manage walking very far.
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When we were in Saint Petersburg in 2008, we noticed that the local women had no problems navigating the cobblestone streets in their dangerously high heels! Like mountain goats on steep slopes, these women looked absolutely unfazed.
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The stiletto-heeled boots would kill me!
I brought a pair of Rothy’s pointy-toe sling backs and have been wearing them often. They’re surprisingly comfy and easy to wear on cobblestones
New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, Adidas, and ON. My daughter’s BF will be picking up Onitsuka Tigers when they get to Paris.
A lot of school children out today. All wearing high-viz vests and one group, anyway, with white ball caps as well. Not the young look I’m going for. 
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I was relieved to be off the cobblestone streets of Rome & Prague. At least the tiles on the streets of Barcelona are flattened. For me, having a walking shoe with a thick sole was a must!
The good news was that my luggage expertly passed the “dragging over cobblestones for many blocks” test!
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Same with the young Italian women. Gliding over those cobblestones in their stilettos!
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YouTube is sneaky! This video popped up as a suggestion when I was looking for a movie trailer. 
I peeked and ended up watching the whole thing. Exactly what our collective hive noticed in France!
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@deb922 After seeing your post I bought the somerset velvet maxi dress in blue. It came over the weekend and I really like it. Although I am 5’6” I ordered a petite because I didn’t want it to hang all the way to the ground. I have a cute pair of dressy platform silver sandals that look great with it. We have an evening wedding at a downtown San Diego venue on November 1st and this dress will be perfect for that. I also think this dress will be great for Christmas or New Year’s Eve parties. I had already bought a dress at Nordstrom that was on sale, but I was just so-so about it. Now I can return the Nordstrom dress.
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DARN I hate it when the size/color of what I need doesn’t show up as in-stock until AFTER the good sale is over!
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That was fun to watch!
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Of course, I’m now observing people’s outfits and thinking about my daily wardrobe. Today I’m going to the gym, followed by physical therapy. I’ve got leggings, an exercise top and an outer long sleeve layer. After PT I’ll likely do an errand and come home. I might take a walk I will stay in the same outfit all day. Most of my days consist of some form of exercise or volunteering where I wouldn’t dress up. Once I’m dressed I rarely change unless I’ve got an evening event.
I love dresses and I have a closet with a lot of both casual and dressier dresses. I’ve also got a lot of shoes. In reality I wear casual clothes almost daily. I wonder if many of you are still working and have a lifestyle that nicer clothes fit in.
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I’m still working, but in my field, folks tend to dress on the more casual end of the business casual spectrum, so my work wardrobe tends to reflect that. Right now, it is nice jeans and a solid tee with a blazer kind of weather. Or denim skirt with black tights and cashmere tee. Our former big boss couldn’t stand yoga pants or ripped/ frayed jeans in the office, so folks wearing them would be asked politely but firmly to go change. When we go wine tasting on the weekend or go out to dinner, I grab something more fun out of my closet. Walks or runs on the trail require athletic wear, obviously. 
Shoes… don’t want to go in here. My middle name is Imelda - 
! Just kidding about that, but I do have quite a collection. Shoes serve as a distraction to direct attention away from my wrinkles, I joke. But it does seem to work! People notice my shoes and bags and compliment them way more often than my clothes!
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I still work part time professionally but work from home 90% of the time so just need to look presentable for the Zoom screen . The other 10% will be skirts and dresses (which I prefer over pants) but in the business casual genre.
I’m happy to admit I don’t like dressing up or formal wear. It’s just not me. Casual wear can still look coordinated or sporty or young and not old. I wore leggings and a solid color tee and a tunic like (not overly long though) 1/4 zip hoody lightweight fleece to the dentist yesterday with newer casual athletic shoes. I think I looked just fine, felt like myself and I’m quite sure the dentist was more interested in how my teeth looked than my outfit. 
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Speaking of doctors’ and dentist’s appointments, it is wise to dress in looser, comfortable clothes that can be easily washed!
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This is similar to the mentioned thin puffer jacket I wore a lot in England. (Mine is maroonish color, a little longer. Got it for $15 on ebay at the end of last winter). It resists water a bit, but for real rain I layered it under a windbreaker. Loved that I could stuff it in a little pouch for an extra pillow on the flights. It was really nice having the hood on a chilly 2 hour walking tour.
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Very cute! I have a similar jacket. I get tons of use out of it.
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The cashmere bomber I’ve been wanting was available in my size AND on sale - yay! I just ordered the blue-green color, but now I notice the purple is also available… hhhmmmm…
https://www.garnethill.com/washable-cashmere-bomber-cardigan/699568?searchTerm=Cashmere+bomber
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